Terranus: Renaissance: Book two of the 'Terranus: Origins' series.

by Joe Crouch

  “You don’t just lose a signal,” Taris sat forwards, incredulous at the proposition, “You must have been able to triangulate its position and extrapolated from there, nothing is ever lost, not in this day and age.”

  “That’s the thing, it did just disappear, it was gone as if the signal had never even existed,” Fez said before Taris stood and interrupted him.

  “Nope, absolute rubbish, you can’t just…” Taris began.

  “That’s…” Fez interrupted, “Why I’m here. I was on my way to visit when the signal reappeared, it’s faint but it’s there, I thought you two might like to get out the house a little.” Breaking his chain of thought, Sean slowly raised his head in time with the smile that formed on his face, with a sharp motion he stood and looked over at Taris, who smiled along with him.

  “Pack the bags, Honey, the titillating, tremendous trifecta are back in town, and we’re ready to rock,” Sean beamed.

  “Oh shut up,” Taris sighed, rolling her eyes…

  Chapter 3

  Sean and Taris darted about the house filling up various suitcases full of a myriad of clothes, with attention paid to a small duffle bag full of snacks and food to keep them going when Ioution meal number four just wasn’t going to cut it. With a heave, Sean threw an over packed suitcase over the balcony, with a thud into the cement-like sand below it burst open scattering their clothes about. “Shit,” Sean sighed before turning, grabbing another and going to throw that over, too.

  “No!” Taris yelled from the other room, “You dare and I’ll smash your face in.” With a smile, he dangled the bright yellow hard case over the edge, waving it from side to side to gain a reaction, “I’m not going to play your games, idiot, I’m just going to… No, no, no,” she screamed as he pretended to drop the case from his hands. Laughing at the onrushing Ioution, he pulled the case up out in front of him, with a huff, she grabbed it by the handle and pulled it along to its resting place. Fez wandered about the well-decorated house picking up various trinkets that were either hanging from the walls or sat neatly on shelves, Sean had it in his mind to slap him, telling him to be careful with them, but he knew it was no use and let the Ioution continue.

  It didn’t take them long to gather everything and place it outside the waiting shuttle, whose surface was now covered with a thick layer of wet sand that stuck to the hull, coating it in a gritty, outer shell. The pair waited for Fez to finish up, they had no idea what was taking him so long, but within moments he strolled out from the house adorned in Sean’s favourite sombrero, “I’m taking this as payment,” he said. The duo erupted into a fit of laughter as Fez stomped down the long, wooden stairs to the beach, they watched on as the hat, which was several sizes too large, bounced around atop his head.

  “That’s a good look for you,” Sean eked out between large, gulping breaths as he tried to compose himself, “Get a cooler, some beers, and a lounger and you wouldn’t be that out of place down here.”

  “Oh, he would,” Taris laughed, bending over to hold her stomach as her muscles began to tense. Waving off the criticism from the children, Fez stepped aboard the vessel, seeing an opportunity he kicked up a large pile of sand that had accumulated inside and aimed it directly at their faces. “You monster,” Taris wailed after spitting the grit from out between her teeth. After shaking themselves clean they pushed their luggage onto the shuttle and stepped aboard themselves, Sean stood with his hands on his hips and absorbed the atmosphere, taking in a deep breath of the slightly stale, faintly antiseptic smell that was aboard. The vessel was a different variant to what he was used to, the seating compartment was still located as he walked in with free-form chairs lining the walls, but now storage tanks were overhead with a small set of stairs leading back into a separate room.

  “What’s back there?” Sean asked as Fez pushed their luggage into the overhead storage.

  “That’s maintenance,” he declared, “Go take a look if you feel it necessary, just don’t touch anything.”

  “I won’t, I promise,” Sean replied, holding his hands up pleading his innocence. Stepping through the bulkhead the heat of the room was the first thing that hit him, the warm air wafted into his face creating a band of sweat across his forehead. There was an odd sweetness to the rooms aroma, it was as if he was stood in his local bakery but the deafening humming coming from the machines belied his fantasy. Tools were neatly laid out across workbenches which ran along the exterior of the compartment, the illuminating reflections coming off the mirror-like surfaces of everything was disorientating. Sat centrally, he assumed, was the power generator for the ship, as he moved closer the frantic vibrations made his sight wobble and his clothes bounce, with the amount of power being emanated from the generator he knew it was a machine to not be messed with. Feeling light headed from the fumes he stepped back over the bulkhead while pressing the small control panel to the door’s left, a crank came from overhead as a solid sheet of thick metal slid down and formed a door. “I think I’ll stay out of there,” he declared while positioning himself in front of one of the self-forming seats.

  The crew darted about prepping the shuttle for launch, Fez worked within the small cockpit up front, checking fuel levels and ensuring all systems were safe for travel while Taris secured their luggage. Looking around unsure what he could help with, Sean fell backwards into the chair that fit his body perfectly, with a few slight adjustments he sat snuggly as if a warm, comforting cushion held him in place. It wasn’t long before Taris sat across from him and the harnesses shot out to hold them in place, the ship began to rumble as the Grav-Drive spooled up its energy for take-off.

  “Everyone ready back there?” asked Fez with his head craned around the cockpit, with two jittery nods in reply the Ioution smiled and increased power to the manipulators. This was the first time in months Sean had been back on any form of Ioution craft, the sensation as they lifted off the ground was like nothing else he had experienced, it was as if the shuttle was riding on a wave of cushions that pulled them along. He gripped on tight to the armrests either side of him as they rose off the beach, with his eyes firmly squeezed shut he thought about being anywhere else but there, just for this moment. With a sharp motion, the shuttle sped off towards the horizon, throwing up water as they skimmed along the surface of the ocean like a stone. He opened one eye with caution and peered out to see a stern-faced Taris sat there, concentrating hard.

  “It’s been a while hasn’t it?” he admitted, all he got as a reply was a quick flash of a smile before she returned to staring with passion at the uninteresting walls. “Are… Are you alright?” he asked as he noticed her usual vibrant purple skin turning a different shade, she nodded quickly as her large eyes began to water. “You’re not going to…” before he could finish his sentence the Ioution leant forwards, letting out a spray of projectile vomit that lashed out across the cabin. “Disgusting,” he yelled as he rose his feet off the ground to avoid the long streak of sick that trickled down the walkway.

  “Yeah, it has been a long time,” she groaned whilst bent in half, letting the final remnants of saliva drip from her mouth. He couldn’t decide if the glare he received from her dead eyes was a cry for help or that he would wake up with a horse’s head beside him in bed tomorrow. “You’re alright,” she said as she wiped her mouth with her sleeve, “You’ve been going through all those simulations, you should be used to the G-Forces still, me, I’ve been eating cheesecake and enjoying daytime television.”

  “Enjoying daytime T.V.?” he questioned with an eyebrow raised, “I think that’s a stretch. Anyway, it’s all fake, my body knew that so that’s why this dumb rust bucket still got to me.”

  “Don’t call her a rust bucket you sack of meat,” Fez yelled to which Sean pretended to zip his mouth closed. By now their bodies had begun to acclimatise to the grav plating aboard and the effects of travel faded slowly as they climbed up into the atmosphere at an almost vertical escape trajectory. Leaning out from his seat, he watched out the front
of the cabin as they punched holes through the sporadic cloud cover that hung over the city, the sky began to darken as they approached the Kármán line which signalled the artificial boundary of the transition into space. For the amount he had achieved in his time off from Earth, his actual time traversing atmospheres was relatively low, so the experience was always a roller-coaster of emotions for him. The darkening sky blanketed everything as the view became increasingly populated with the bright sparks of life that were stars. As they finally left behind the rigours of atmospheric travel the ship began to stabilise, much to Taris’ glee, the remaining journey to the Mar’Ell would be smooth.

  You excited to be back on her?” asked Taris, breaking the silence that had occupied the compartment.

  “I am,” he replied with a slight wobble that took hold in his bottom lip, it hadn’t been long since he left the ship but he saw the Mar’Ell as a home for him, he had a house back on Earth which he enjoyed, but he felt a certain sense of belonging aboard the cruiser. “It’ll be good to see everyone again,” he said while turning to peer out the front window. With a nod, she unbuckled herself to stretch, it would be a few minutes before they began docking procedures so it was safe to wander around for a moment.

  It didn’t take long for the Mar’Ell’s navigation lights to come into view, albeit far off in the distance, the running streak of reds and greens along the cruiser’s hull looked like holiday illuminations against a dark canvas. The sight sent a cold chill of anticipation and dread down his spine, on one hand, he was excited to be back aboard, on the other, he was scared he wouldn’t remember the faces of the crew he had served with. Memories of the past came flooding back to him in brief flashes of blurred images, Xuron ambushes, intruders aboard the Mar’Ell, the Xuron superstructure, and the High Priest. They haunted him, he had learned to block out the feelings of guilt and despair most of the time, but they still managed to find a way through, crushing him whenever they did.

  “I’ve got someone who wants to meet you, Sean,” Fez yelled, “An old friend.” An old friend he wondered, pausing for a moment to think about who it could possibly be.

  “An old friend? There isn’t anyone I can think of,” he admitted, “Unless you mean Farel, who I’m excited to see again.” Fez gave a weak laugh, waving away his question as if he wanted the reveal to be a surprise. The three words bounced around in his mind as he pondered who he could have meant, everyone he truly cared about was in this shuttle, but the thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind as the small speck in the distance became larger.

  The Mar’Ell looked cleaner than ever, her reflective silver surface was coated in a lacquer that absorbed the Sun’s light ensuring onlookers were not blinded. The sleek curves and wave-like design still made his jaw drop to this day. Something caught his attention, though, two large wings were now fitted to the back of the ship, their edges smooth and rounded with a large triangular chunk seemingly taken out from their surface. “Wow, what are those,” he looked on in awe.

  “The wings?” Fez asked to which he received a nod, “They’re additional engines for travel to the Outer Rim, it takes considerably more power to fly out there while still having enough left to come home.” The Outer Rim he thought, there was still so much he didn’t know about the galaxy, so many places he hadn’t even heard of let alone visited, now that the Terran Empire had become truly interstellar collective he wished to travel one of these days and explore these distant worlds. “They provide a massive boost to power, I’m surprised the Council didn’t just assign me a new ship instead of going through the trouble of retrofitting the Mar’Ell, but it has been all over the news lately so we could not just scrap it.”

  “I know the feeling,” Sean replied, feeling the anger and bile rise from within, “It looks excellent none-the-less, I guess the Outer Rim is pretty far away then, huh?”

  “Quite far, yes, the travel is not as bad as it used to be, though,” Fez replied. The shielded hangars came into view as static planes of buzzing energy, Fez angled the shuttle down, eventually bringing her level with the row of lights indicating the “runway” they should use. As they drew closer the automated systems of the Mar’Ell took over, a projected beam engulfed the shuttle in a shimmer of light and began to draw them in as the artificial gravity waves rocked the ship from side to side. “What’s happening?” Fez asked rhetorically as he played with the instruments that lined the shuttle to open a line of communication to the bridge.

  “Captain Feghouli, what a…” a voice came over comms.

  “What is happening with the docking beams?” Fez interrupted, “We are being thrown around.” Moans and groans filled the air as the small crew was tossed about, Taris wrapped her arms around a structural pylon as she tried to make her way back to the seat.

  “I am not sure, Captain, let me get back to you,” the voice eventually replied, cutting through the loud rattling that echoed throughout the ship. Without warning, the shuttle was yanked inwards and thrown across the hangar bay. They skid along the polymer flooring leaving a trail of sparks and large, indented scratch marks along the hangar floor. The trio gripped tightly to whatever they could find, ensuring they wouldn’t end up splattered on the interior hull. They slammed to a halt as the shuttle crashed into the back wall, the nose took the brunt of the impact leaving them unharmed but the hangar had been obliterated.

  “Well… nice landing, captain, it’s good to be back,” Sean sighed as he unharnessed himself. Taris still held on for her life, completely unaware they had come to a halt, “Hey, we’ve crashed already, snap out of it,” he said while shaking her back to reality.

  “I wasn’t scared,” she replied while slowly releasing her grip of the support pylon. It wasn’t long before the side of the shuttle split in two, forming a set of stairs down to the hangar surface, none of them wanted to be the first out and take the brunt of the deck crew's ire, but the surprise was too much for Sean.

  “Where’s that lousy captain of ours,” a male Ioution mechanic screamed at him as he descended the stairs, the man wore a bright orange overall which was stained from the unknown fluids that gushed out the back of their shuttle. “He’s damaged the ship, she’s leaking everywhere, I hope it’s in his budget to afford new parts and an entire new hangar,” the man yelled.

  “… So no surprise guests?” Sean asked after looking out over the throng of mechanics and deck-hands who stood with their arms crossed, staring at him with a certain anger that couldn’t be forged. Ignoring their scorn, he stepped off from the descent and stretched his limbs, watching as Taris got a warm reception from all aboard the Mar’Ell, to his knowledge she had become a pseudo cult figure among certain circles of the Ioutions. The mood soon turned sour as Fez stepped out from the breach, the gathered crowd kicked up a fuss, gesticulating wildly at the damage that had been inflicted upon their arrival. To his credit, Fez stood with the man who appeared to be in charge and promised to get the repair bots on it right away, resources would need to be pulled from other sectors but the hangar was a crucial lifeline to almost everyone aboard. After a few moments of discussion, the mechanics got back to work at the order of their superior while Fez strolled over to the pair who inspected their battered luggage.

  “Everything alright?” Fez asked, nodding down at their cases.

  “Yeah it’s fine,” Taris replied, “Just a little battered and bruised, that’s all.”

  “Picking up more Earth lingo I see,” Fez smiled, “How about you, you want your usual quarters?” he asked, looking over towards the ambassador.

  “If they’re available then sure, go for it, I’m stoked to be back, you’ll have to let me… us in on your plans later,” he replied.

  “I will, absolutely, but for now I’d like you to meet someone.” Nodding, the pair picked up their cases and followed the captain across the busy hangar. It was just as he remembered it, shuttles were docked with their innards exposed, hanging wildly from every compartment across the hull, repair bots darted about the fl
oor with a ball of polymer towards the damage they had inflicted. Sparks flew as mechanics tore one of the vessels apart for parts, the smell of burning plastic filled the air as they wafted their way through a thick cloud of white smoke that hung in the atmosphere. Looking up, large doors were on the ceiling that led to where all their contingent of shuttles were held within the belly of the ship.

  Walking up the rickety stairs they made their way out from the hangar and stepped into the veins of the ship. They were as bleak and clinical as he remembered them with their white polymer floors, walls, and ceilings with terminals layered into the bright surfaces. The screens flashed with different information as they strolled past, the ship seemed to recognise him as a map of the route to his quarters flashed up into existence. “So, where we headed?” Sean asked as they turned a corner into another dull hallway, “There’s nothing special down this way.”

  “One of the conference rooms,” Fez replied, playing his cards close to his chest, “We will be there in a few moments.” With a glance at each other the couple continued to stay behind the confident captain, his gait as he walked betrayed the importance of what he was going to show them, they knew something big was coming but they weren’t quite sure what. Stopping, they stood beside a set of sealed doors, with his heart pounding Sean waited anxiously and as the doors hissed open and sunk back into the walls their collective mouths dropped. There was a moment of stunned silence before he dropped his bags and charged into the room.

  “Yumie,” he yelled while throwing his arms around the waiting Ioution, “I can’t believe you’re back, I saw you die right in front of me.” Taris held out her hand, shaking his with a firm grip.